Our First Grant!

The CFFP is proud to announce that it has been chosen as one of five beneficiary organizations entitled to receive funding from members of the Foundation Beyond Belief. The FBB is a charitable foundation that focuses, encourages, and demonstrates humanist generosity and compassion.

The CFFP was chosen under the “Challenge the Gap” category which covers organizations that work with faith communities to carry out their good works. We hope that humanists who believe in the mission of the CFFP will become an FBB member and donate to the CFFP and other extraordinary organizations. Read a great description about the CFFP on the Foundation’s blog.

We are most grateful to the FBB for this marvelous gift and recognition. And we hope that people of all faiths and value systems will continue to support the CFFP by volunteering their time or donating via our homepage. Want to get involved with our work? We are currently developing some exciting new programs to support faith communities in their efforts to nurture children and protect them from abuse and neglect enabled by ideology. Please join us!

The Child-Friendly Faith Project aims to end child abuse and neglect that is enabled by ideology and a lack of understanding of child development. It exposes problems and supports faith communities in their efforts to nurture children and protect them from maltreatment.

Like many dynamic institutions, religion can be a source of great evil or unparalleled good. When we grasp God's grace -- or better, when we discover that we have been grasped by that grace -- it makes all the difference for us, and for our children.

—Mark Galli

I used to co-facilitate a group for parents who were trying to reunify with their children who had been removed by the state. I remember hearing the story of one mother whose 12-year-old daughter was removed from the home because she had been found walking the streets at 2am along with prostitutes and drug dealers. When her mother was telling the story in the group, she said, “The police brought her to my house and I said, ‘There is nothing I can do about this child. If it is God’s will that He test me with a spiteful child, then so be it. If it is God’s plan that she learn her lessons by getting raped, then I cannot do anything to prevent that from happening. Who am I to interfere with His will?’” In my head, I thought, “Are you serious?” To the group, however, I said, “I see that a lot of you are shaking your heads. What would you like to say to the mother right now?” Most of the group members said she was wrong, that God did not want little girls to get raped. Some members, however, stopped short and said that God’s will was a mysterious thing.

—Jonathan Singer, Host of the Social Work Podcast

He told me that, because he was a man of God and he represented Christ in the flesh, it would be spiritual and natural for him to take care of me sexually. . . . But even though I felt that it was wrong, afterwards I thought, because [he] said he was a man of God and he brought up those things from the Bible, somehow, it was okay, or holy.

—Lindsay Tornambe, child sexual abuse survivor

Children are a blessing, and that enrages the horrifying nature of those who seek only to kill and to destroy. . . . Let’s grieve for the innocent. Let’s demand justice for the guilty. And let’s rage against the Reptile behind it all.

—Russell D. Moore

I heard the telephone ringing at the other end. Silly to ring at this time of day, really. There probably wouldn't be anybody there. Just as I was about to give up I heard my mother's voice."Hello?""Hello," I said nervously. "It's me!""Oh!" She sounded quite taken aback. It must be years since we'd last spoken on the telephone.. . . ."I've left," I said weakly. "I'm out.""You're out!" she screamed, astonished. "Oh. Well. Are you all right?""Yes, fine!" I lied breezily. Again I wanted no emotion. Not yet. I couldn't face it. "The dispensation came through this morning. And I'm back here because term starts tomorrow.""Do you want to come home?""Soon," I said.. . . ."And you're all right?" she repeated anxiously. How could I answer her really? What did people say to one another on this occasion after seven years of noncommunication? Now, in the crowded college lobby, I couldn't cope with too much love."Yes, I'm all right. Really."